A defence official has revealed that the MoD is actively looking into the possible threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been told to refrain from talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to talk about classified material while riding in Chinese cars.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that safety is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the MoD and Chinese ones account for a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence technology into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a secret classification in any kind of car, due to the growing risks of surveillance that exist in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about safety.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using all cars from China, the minister responded: That is precisely what we are looking into at the present time.”
Broader Security Context
This revelation comes as reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the UK to the presence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made electric buses, which could enable the Chinese government to switch off buses and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship was reportedly shining laser beams at Royal Air Force aircrew, labeled a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
This wider security situation highlights the importance of robust protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including transport usage to discussions habits.
